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Arora (Hindi: अरोड़ा, Punjabi: ਅਰੋੜਾ) or Aror-vanshis or Aror-vansh is an Indo-Aryan community of Punjab. According to some sources they are Vaishya (traditionally workers) and others Kshatriyas (traditionally warriors).
Nobel laureate Dr. Hargobind Khorana, astronaut Kalpana Chawla, Lt. Arun Khetarpal, Captain Vikram Batra (both recipients of Param Vir Chakra), Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja, Lt. General Harbaksh Singh, Lt. General Jagjit Singh Aurora, and Commonwealth Games gold medalist Gagan Narang trace their ancestry to the Arora community.
The word Arora means one belonging to the ancient city of 'Aror' situated on the banks of the river Indus in the northwestern part of the Sindh province of Pakistan. Aroras are similar to the Khatri group. Both groups engage in similar work; have a similar accent and physical appearance; and have similar traditions and rituals. There is a significant overlap of surnames and subcastes among the two communities. Both communities are closely related to each other and intermarriage between the two communities takes place. Where in history the two groups bifurcated is not exactly known. Genetic tests demonstrate that Aroras, Khatris, and Rajputs are strongly clustered together genetically, and they are closer to Brahmin than to Vaish and Scheduled Castes.The Aroras and Khatris both engaged in trade in Central Asia. The Hindu temples of Kabul and the Hindu Fire Temple of Baku built and maintained by them still exist.
Prior to independence and the partition of India in 1947, Aroras were mainly concentrated in West Punjab (now Pakistan) along the banks of the river Indus and its tributaries; in the Malwa region in Indian Punjab apart from the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP); in Sindh (mainly as Sindhi Aroras but there were many Punjabi and Multani speaking Aroras as well); in Rajasthan (as Jodhpuri and Nagauri Aroras/Khatris); and in Gujarat. Khatris were more numerous in the northern Potohar and Majha regions of Punjab. In post-independence and post-partition India, Aroras mainly reside in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, and other parts of the country. After partition, Aroras have migrated to many parts of India and Pakistan, and all over the world.
According to the Indian Puranic tradition, the Arora are a people from the Suryavansha group of the Ikshvaku. According to ancient reigious texts, Lord Rama of Ayodhya had a descendant named Devaneek in the eighth generation after him, and Devaneek had three sons. The three sons of Devaneek were called Ahinag (Aneeh), Roop, and Ruru. Ruru is remembered by all Aroras as their eponymous ancestor. The lineage from there on is well-preserved by their bards right up to King Dadror. Evidence is available to suggest that the Greeks used to call the Sauviras by names derived from the name of the Sauvira capital of Roruka.